BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 36

Interview

L’Oréal Luxe president Nicolas Hieronimus

Luxe redux
L’Oréal’s Luxe division has gone from strength to strength driven by the turnaround of Lancôme, Chinese consumers shopping at home and abroad, new initiatives from key brands Armani and Yves Saint Laurent and the continued growth of Kiehl’s. L’Oréal Luxe president Nicolas Hieronimus tells BW Confidential about what’s next
by Oonagh Phillips

espite a difficult economy, the past few years have been good for L’Oréal Luxe. The luxury arm of the French giant, which now counts 15 brands, saw the best growth in 2011 of all the group’s divisions, with sales up 8.2%. It has managed to turn around its biggest brand, Lancôme, which until recently was viewed as having lost its direction. In 2011, Lancôme saw its strongest growth in 15 years, and sales for the first half of this year increased by 12%. The focus for its two other powerhouse brands, Armani and Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) is on building international, especially Asian distribution, and on developing a stronger presence in skincare—a key growth category for the division as a whole. YSL, which was said to be at a disadvantage given the weight of its business in Europe, launched skincare line Forever Youth Liberator this year, partly to capture a greater share of the Asian spend and to develop its status as a three-axis brand. For Lancôme, Armani and YSL there has also been a push to move the brands more upscale (which has resulted in products like Lancôme’s Absolue L’Extrait retailing at €300), perhaps to attract more of Asia’s high spenders. L‘Oréal Luxe also added a new product segment to its portfolio through the acquisition of the Clarisonic skincare device company in December 2011. The brand is one of the fastest-growing US skincare companies, and L’Oréal plans to take it international. Analysts wonder however, how the group will adapt its distribution model, which in the US is mainly through home shopping channels and the internet, to export markets. Making a greater push into emerging markets, especially China is a priority for the division. It claims to have a 20% share of the prestige beauty market in China. And despite a slight slowdown, the division is confident that expansion in second- and third-tier cities, as well as rolling out more of its brands in places like Shanghai and Beijing. L’Oréal Luxe president Nicolas Hieronimus tells BW Confidential about his plans for China, other emerging markets, travel-retail and the next steps for the division’s main brands.
36

D

How is the strategy of going more upscale progressing? We can’t sum up our strategy by taking brands upscale. Our aim is to increase our share of the luxury market and the key is to have a balanced portfolio in terms of the brand’s experience, pricing and product category. We have embarked on a crusade to make some brands more luxurious in terms of product quality, but also in consumer experience. Lancôme has raised the quality of its products and has introduced new counters, visuals and services. YSL is doing this too and for Armani, we are raising the level with Armani Privé fragrances, but are also adding details on packs and new merchandising. We are particularly accelerating our biggest brands, Lancôme, Armani, YSL and Kiehl’s. Going upscale usually means price increases. Is this motivated by Asian travelers willing to spend more or to offset a decline in volume in some markets? There is demand for premium products, but it is specific to skincare. Among Asians, Americans and increasingly Europeans there is an affluent consumer who wants the best. Lancôme Absolue L’Extrait can cost up to $350, but it is purchased because it is one of the best anti-aging creams. There is a demand for superior quality and people are willing to pay for it. There is no strategy to increase prices to offset a slowdown in the market. And there are other areas where we raise the quality without increasing the price. With Acqua di Gio Essenza on Armani or La Vie est Belle on Lancôme we remain within the competitive pricing of the market. On Kiehl’s we even dropped the prices thanks to the success of the brand. The luxury market is said to have slowed in the second quarter of this year. Is this a worry? For the first half of this year, the Luxe division’s sales were up +10.4% on a comparable basis—which is the best performance of all the beauty players—and +17.9% in published numbers thanks to the exchange rate and the Clarisonic acquisition. We have been gaining share in the first six months and have been growing at one and a half times the market in sellout.
November-December 2012 - N°12 - BW Confidential



BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012

Cover
Comment
Contents
Update
- Brand & retail news recap
- Companies on the move
Take note Market facts, figures & trends
Best of BW Highlights from our e-publication
Launches The latest in fragrance, skincare & make-up
Interview L'Oréal Luxe president Nicolas Hieronimus
Insight: Fragrance
- Category overview
- Regional breakdown
- Retail strategies
- Sampling
- Launch roundup
Wellness
- Clarins' spa strategy
- Spa case studies
Retail
- Chinese shoppers abroad
- Direct sales
- Store concepts
Digital
- QR codes
- Selling beauty online
- Marketing strategies
Market watch: South East Asia
- Regional overview
- Thailand
- Indonesia
- Vietnam
Travel retail
- Industry analysis
- Retailer viewpoint
- New niches
- Retailer factfile
Emerging markets Company profile: Dabur
Radar Up-and-coming beauty brands
Packaging
- Sustainable packaging in the BRICs
- Packs for Chinese consumers
- Luxe Pack preview
Last word Uber founder Sarah Cross
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - Cover
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 2
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 3
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 4
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 5
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 6
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - Comment
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 8
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - Contents
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 10
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 11
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Brand & retail news recap
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 13
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 14
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 15
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 16
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 17
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Companies on the move
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 19
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 20
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 21
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 22
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 23
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 24
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 25
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - Take note Market facts, figures & trends
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 27
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - Best of BW Highlights from our e-publication
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 29
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 30
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 31
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - Launches The latest in fragrance, skincare & make-up
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 33
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 34
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 35
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - Interview L'Oréal Luxe president Nicolas Hieronimus
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 37
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 38
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 39
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Category overview
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 41
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 42
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - EC1
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - EC2
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 43
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 44
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Regional breakdown
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 46
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 47
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Retail strategies
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 49
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 50
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 51
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 52
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Sampling
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 54
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 55
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Launch roundup
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 57
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 58
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 59
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 60
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 61
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 62
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 63
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Clarins' spa strategy
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 65
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Spa case studies
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 67
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 68
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 69
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Chinese shoppers abroad
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 71
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Direct sales
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 73
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 74
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 75
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 76
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 77
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Store concepts
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 79
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 80
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - QR codes
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 82
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 83
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 84
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Selling beauty online
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 86
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 87
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Marketing strategies
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 89
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 90
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Regional overview
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Thailand
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 93
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Indonesia
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 95
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Vietnam
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 97
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Industry analysis
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 99
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 100
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 101
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Retailer viewpoint
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 103
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - New niches
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 105
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Retailer factfile
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 107
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 108
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 109
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - Emerging markets Company profile: Dabur
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 111
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - Radar Up-and-coming beauty brands
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 113
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 114
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 115
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 116
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Sustainable packaging in the BRICs
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 118
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 119
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 120
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Packs for Chinese consumers
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 122
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 123
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - - Luxe Pack preview
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 125
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - Last word Uber founder Sarah Cross
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 127
BW Confidential - Issue #12 - November/December 2012 - 128
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